- Trump reneges on Iran ceasefire deal after Israeli violations
Source: AOL
“Donald Trump has broken his silence on a key question [sic] surrounding the US-Iran ceasefire deal. The US president addressed reports about the agreement’s scope in a new interview, and his answer has already drawn sharp reactions from multiple world leaders. US President Donald Trump told PBS News that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Iran. Trump cited Hezbollah as the reason for Lebanon’s exclusion, adding that the situation ‘will get taken care of.’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Lebanon’s exclusion from the deal, according to Axios. Trump also described Israel’s continued strikes on Lebanon as ‘a separate skirmish,’ PBS NewsHour’s Liz Landers reported on X.” [editor’s note: There’s no “question.” Lebanon was part of the deal as announced. The main purpose of the Israeli strikes in Lebanon is probably precisely to get the larger war going again – TLK] (04/09/26)
https://www.aol.com/articles/donald-trump-says-lebanon-not-072703656.html
- Bondi defies House subpoena over Epstein files cover-up
Source: Axios
“Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not comply with a subpoena to appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee next week for questioning on her handling of the Epstein files. Bondi, who was ousted from her post earlier this month, previously told reporters she will ‘follow the law’ in responding to a subpoena from the panel. ‘The Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general,’ a committee spokesperson said. The panel will reach out to Bondi’s personal attorney ‘to discuss next steps,’ the spokesperson added.” (04/08/26)
- Canada: Carney attracts yet another Conservative lawmaker to his Liberal Party
Source: SFGate
“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has attracted another opposition Conservative lawmaker to the Liberal party, further assuring that he will soon have a majority government. Ontario Member of Parliament Marilyn Gladu alluded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s sovereignty and economy for her decision to defect to Carney’s governing Liberals. Trump has talked about making Canada the 51st state and has applied punishing tariffs on certain key sectors. ‘The past year has been like no other Canada has ever faced,’ Gladu said in a statement Wednesday. ‘I’ve heard from constituents that you want serious leadership and a real plan to build a stronger and more independent Canadian economy.’ Gladu is the fifth Member of Parliament to defect to Carney and the fourth Conservative.” (04/08/26)
- Russia: Regime summons Japanese ambassador over Ukrainian drone investment
Source: Reuters
“Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Moscow had summoned the Japanese ambassador in protest over an investment made by a Japanese startup in Ukrainian interceptor drone technology.
The Japanese company, Terra Drone, said in March it had invested an undisclosed sum in Ukrainian interceptor-drone producer Amazing Drones, which produces technology designed for rapid deployment on the battlefield. … The Kremlin has described Russia’s relations with Japan as having been ‘reduced to zero’ over what it casts as Tokyo’s ‘unfriendly stance’ towards Moscow.” (04/08/26) - TX: Cannabis businesses sue regime to block smokeable hemp ban
Source: Texas Tribune
“Texas hemp industry leaders and advocacy groups have sued the state to block new regulations that eliminate natural smokeable hemp products and increase licensing fees. The Texas Hemp Business Council, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, and several Texas-based dispensaries and manufacturers filed for a temporary restraining order in state district court in Travis County against the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on Tuesday. They argue that the agencies have overstepped their constitutional authority by rewriting the statutory definitions of hemp established by lawmakers in 2019. … ‘An administrative agency may not substitute its own policy judgment for the outcome produced by the constitutional lawmaking process,’ the lawsuit states.” (04/08/26)
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/08/texas-hemp-smokeable-ban-joints-lawsuit/
- Gates to testify before House Oversight in Epstein probe
Source: Politico
“Bill Gates is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee in the coming weeks, as the committee continues its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Gates will sit for a transcribed interview June 10, according to a person familiar with the matter granted anonymity to discuss the committee’s deliberations. His interview comes after the committee issued a March 3 letter requesting his testimony. A spokesperson for Gates said the Microsoft founder ‘welcomes’ the chance to appear before the committee.” (04/08/26)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/07/bill-gates-testify-congress-epstein-probe-00861678
- The Economic Destruction of Trump’s War Goes Far Beyond High Gas Prices
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe“[M]ost of the discourse about the economic impacts of the war has focused on the rising prices drivers are facing at the gas pump. That isn’t surprising, as gas prices are an early cost that impact consumers directly. But the emphasis on pain at the pump threatens to badly understate the economic damage of this war. And it helps feed the false impression that, if this new attempt at a ceasefire holds and the war ends somewhat quickly, gas prices will fall back down as fast as they rose, and then all the global economic turmoil the world’s been worrying about will be avoided. It won’t. A lot of economic pain has already been locked in by this war. But to really understand it, it’s necessary to keep a few important economic truths at the front of our minds.” (04/08/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/economic-destruction-trumps-war-goes-far-beyond-high-gas-prices
- Grief, anger, disbelief: War proponents lose it over ceasefire
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos“It’s hard to bodyslam the two-week pause with Iran without taking direct shots at the guy who announced it. But they are trying their best.” (04/08/26)
- You can’t hide your lying ICE: The harassment of Francisco Longoria
Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko“Federal immigration officers racially profiled a man, fired at his truck, raided his home at 4 am, and arrested him. Then they lied about it all — both in public and in court.” (04/08/26)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/you-cant-hide-your-lying-ice-th
- Trust marketplace, not the government
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal“Businesses don’t want to harm their customers. That’s no way to stay in business. When a new restaurant opens, people rush to stand in line to try it out. They don’t worry that the restaurant will poison them, and it’s not because of the licenses and permits the owners got from government. Government would love for you to believe this is what keeps you safe, but again, government works harder to protect dishonest businesses than to protect victims. If a business owner is greedy but can’t use government to force you to trade with him or her, this greed is motivation to satisfy you …. It’s only when a crooked business owner has government connections that satisfying the customer loses its importance.” (04/08/26)
- My Quest to Solve Bitcoin’s Great Mystery
Source: New York Times
by John Carreyrou & Dylan Freedman“Bitcoin’s creator has hidden behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto for 17 years. But a trail of clues buried deep in crypto lore led to a 55-year-old computer scientist named Adam Back.” (04/08/26)
- Iran war prods shared action on energy
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“The world has learned enough from past energy crises to know that a shortage of a finite resource like oil requires help from a more boundless resource: trust and cooperation. That’s especially true as the Iran war led to a near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz to the petroleum exports from Gulf countries. From neighborhoods to the United Nations, the closure triggered shared action worldwide to ensure ensure energy supplies. One big reason: The crisis was the largest-ever disruption in the global oil market, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency, even more serious than the energy crises of 1973, 1979, and 2022 combined.” (04/07/26)
- In the War on Iran, Every Word Is a War Crime
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Snider“There are multiple reasons why America’s European and NATO allies have not answered Trump’s call to join the war. They were not respected. They were not consulted. The goals of the war were not articulated. The benefits were not clear while the cost was very clear. But, most importantly, they have not joined the war because it is illegal.” (04/08/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_snider/2026/04/07/in-the-war-on-iran-every-word-is-a-war-crime/
- Reason Interview: Jacob Siegel
Source: Reason
“The Rise of the Information State.” (04/08/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/04/08/the-rise-of-the-information-state/
- The Briefing Podcast with Michael Waldman, 04/08/26
Source: Brennan Center for Justice
“Speed Round (with Molly Jong-Fast).” (04/08/26)